Saturday, March 1, 2003

RIVAL managers John Barton and Tommy Saunders both know the value of good defence.

It's underpinned their respective success for Worcester and Chippenham this year but it made for a devil of a job to provide a winner on Saturday.

Not surprisingly neither succeeded and two of the Dr Martens Premier Division's meanest outfits played out their second stalemate of the season to lose further ground on leaders Tamworth.

On reflection it was a useful point for a City side whose midfield included the relatively inexperienced midfield trio of Mitch Counsell, Dan Jones and Marc Burrow.

There was however plenty of attacking skill available but picking a way through the defensive minefields proved difficult and there were few clear-cut opportunities on offer at St George's Lane.

Worcester came closest to breaking the deadlock with two second half efforts from Adam Webster and Adam Wilde which both struck the woodwork.

Chippenham for their part were awkward customers illustrated perfectly by the powerful figure of Adie Mings who worked tirelessly keeping City's back three of Mark Shail, Jon Holloway and the outstanding Carl Heeley on their toes throughout.

Frustratingly for City several good opportunities broke down through careless distribution when eye of the needle precision was required.

The frenetic nature of the contest was compounded by some fierce challenges flying in not least from Mings who left his calling card on Jones in the 10th minute with a bruising offence within feet of the Chippenham dugout.

That resulted in a frank and furious exchange of views between Barton and Saunders but City are no shrinking violets and a clattering tackle by Holloway put left wing back Steve Brown out of the match after 15 minutes.

Later events got even more heated following Martin Paul's desperate lunge at Danny McDonnell which provoked a mass inquiry and ended with Mings putting a headlock on Counsell.

All entertaining stuff but the first half was a cagey affair with Wilde's electrifying burst into the box City's best moment.

Tom Gould headed narrowly over for the Bluebirds but Charlie Griffin managed to waste their best opening, driving his shot into Mings' backside with the goal gaping.

In a game crying out for some individual brilliance to separate the two sides Wilde was the best equipped but he endured a largely frustrating afternoon, flitting in and out of the game.

However he was involved in Worcester's best moments, following his mazy first half dribble by picking out Webster at the near post whose deft flick struck the upright.

Mark Shail then forced a good save from James Bittner with a well-timed volley in the 50th minute.

The match ebbed and flowed but Chippenham appeared the more solid. Paul blazed narrowly over from a Mings' flick on while Mings chased a lost cause and ended up forcing McDonnell to deflect his acutely angled shot on the post.

Matt Rawlins went agonisingly close to a 67th minute opener with a bicycle kick but with Chippenham looking to turn the screw Paul's awful challenge on McDonnell in the 69th minute jolted City back into life.

Substitute John Snape helped City lift a gear and they almost grabbed a sensational winner through Wilde.

Side-stepping two defenders Wilde unleashed a 30 yard piledriver which crashed against the crossbar. It was within a whisker of being one of the finest ever goals seen at St George's Lane.

The visitors might have nicked the points but McDonnell saved Rawlins shot at full stretch. Griffin picked up the rebound but a well-timed Allan Davies tackle ensured no way through - which was very much the story of the match.